Property Rights
The inability of our religious community to obtain legal recognition has inhibited restitution
and denationalisation of our religious site in Tetovo, which is currently occupied by the
ICM, limiting our community's ability to worship. Further, there have been acts of violence
perpetrated against our site of worship, in the form of vandalisation and other acts of
intimidation. Our community has also experienced harassment and threats from individuals
with differing interpretations of Islam. As result, members of our community are
experiencing a state of fear and thus, unable to manifest and practice our fundamental right
to religion.
Recommendations
On behalf of the IARF, I would like to provide the following recommendations:
Firstly, we would like to urge our government to recognise all religious minorities under its
national legal regime to ensure the realization of the fundamental right to freedom of
religion or beliefs, including the restitution of property, in the case of our community.
Secondly, that the right of religious minorities be protected when they do not self-recognize
with a majority religious group, in order to protect them from all forms of discrimination or
intolerance on the grounds of religion. That the violations committed to religious minorities
be investigated and acted upon by relevant government authorities without delay.
Finally, the IARF would like to re-emphasize the finding by the former Special Rapporteur
in 2009 concerning the 2007 Law on the Legal Status of a Church, a Religious Community
and a Religious Group, that this law must be streamlined, for example with regard to
registration issues in order to help prevent small religious communities from facing
obstacles in practice in access to and use of their places of worship.